Steering-gear.



RA, 0. MASON & A. T. STURT.

.smnmn GEAR. APPLICATIONII LED DEC. 14, I914.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

rum/Ton 5 mentea Feb. 8, 1916.

A. C. MASON & A. T. STURT.

' STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 14, 1914. 1,171,131. 1 f Pja'tented Feb.- 8,1916.

- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ammw%% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR C. MASON AND ALFRED '1. STURT, 0F IELIN'D, MICHIGAN, TO CHEVROLET MOTOR COMPANY OF NEW YORK, INCL, OF .NEW YORK, N. Y., A COR- PORTION OF NEW YORK.

STEERING-GEAR.

Application filed December 14, 1914. Serial No. 877,007.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR C. MASON and ALFRED T. STURT, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of the city of Flint, county of Genesee, and State of Michigan, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering-Gear; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof 4 provide a steering gear formed of two separate and independent parts which maybe readily coupled together and uncoupled.

Another object is to produce a construction of gearing which is easy to adjust in order to take up wear upon the co-acting parts and prevent lost motion. 7

Other objects-will appear from thesubjoined description and claims.

The invention therefore consists in a steer mg gear in which the steering column is 1n.

two parts operativelyconnected together by multiple gearing and so mounted as to be readily connected and disconnected one from the other when desired, either for the purpose of repair or for the purpose of dismantling the automobile.

The invention further consists in the con-, struction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described tional automobile structure, partly .in section showing our invention attached to the steering column. Fig. 2., is a vertical section through the gearing and supporting cageor frame within which the gearinguis mounted. Fig. 3., is a side elevatlon partly I in section showing the two portions of the steering column separated from each other, but in. juxtaposition to each other with the supporting cage and gear wheels in place. Fig. 4., is a front view of one portion of the supporting cage or frame within'which the gearing-and shafts are mounted; the other portion of the supporting cage being shown in perspective. Fig. 5., is a front elevation ofone portion of the supporting cage or frame. Fig. 6., represents a vertlcal section on line 6 6 ofFig. 2.

In the drawings, similar reference ch arac terslndicate like parts.

- -Patent'edFeb.8,1916."

"A is an automobile body, B the" radiator casing, thefframe, D the front axle, E a

wheel, F the supporting springs, G the steer 'lng column and H thesteerin handle, and K the lever .mechanism operativelyconnecb.

ed to the wheels. j 1

g is the dash board;"I1 a bracket attached to the dash board to support the upper'end of the steering columns; 12'is the tube of or-' dinary construction, through which the up per portion of the steering rod passes. The

steering rod is made in two parts 2O and 21.

A frame 22 is secured to the front of thedash board by bolts-23 passing through the corners of a rectangular portion thereof indlcated at 24, 25; and26. 'From' the lower corners of this rectangular portion extend rigid" projections25 and-26' in whicha-re threaded bolt-holes '27 and 281 From these projections extendingin upwardly and downwardly directions are rigid arms 31, 32 and 33 forming a diamond shape frame, in the upper portion of which isga longitudinal bearing 34 to receive the lower end of the shaft 20. Inthe lower portion of the diamond frame is alongitudinal bearing 35 to receive an idler shaft 36"to which is keyed gear wheels 37 and 38. These wheels37 and 38 are preferably separated,

but it is obvious that they may be integralwith each other; Keyed to the end of the upper shaft 20 which projects through the frame is agear wheel 39. A diamond shaped frame 4O is mounted upon the separate lower portion 21 of the steering column'and this frame issupported.

at itsupper corner by the lower shaft 21 passing through-a bearing 42 therein. This bearing is sp1it l ongitudi'nally,at 43 and is.

provided with .upwardlyextending flangfs y Y 44 and 45 through whicha bolt 46 p'asses means. of which it isclamped to the shaft. This bearing is of substantial length and is adjustable .upon the shaft to take up wear.

In the opposite corner 7 of the diamond shaped frame 40 is a bearing"4 7 to receive the other end of theidler shaft 36 to which the gears 37and 38 arekeyed as above described. Bolts 50 and 51 ScreW threaded-at. their ends at 52 (see Fig. 3.,) passjthrough holes 54 and 55in the outer corners of the frame 40 by means of-which construction I as split a driving or power gear, a

erably cuta kerf 64 in the upper part of'the ,shaft 21 into which the bolt 63 rests in order to hold the-sector from sliding downwardly upon the shaft when the gear is assembled;

In each of the diamond frames we mount bolts .70 and 71 running across the same, and

. bridging the parts by means of which we adjust the framesinorder to cause the gears which are mountedt'herein to engage each otherinore effectually, and prevent lost motion when in operation.' a v The train of [fn'ult'iplegearing consists of driven gear and two idler or transmission gears, and it is so arranged that the'dri'ven shaftis. given a slow movement, its extent ofvmovement, being easily governed by the manipulation of the steering handle on the driving or power shsift; The train-c'onsistsor 'a'jgear of small diameter on 'thepower-ordriving shaft, meshsecured to" an idler shaft arranged parallel thereto. A'smal'l gear substantially equal in sizeto the driving gear 'isalso secured tofthe ing'w'ith a larger-idler or transmission gear,

- idler shaft, and said gear meshes with a toothed sector secured to the driven shaft,

theradius-ofwhichis equal to the radius of the larger idler 'or transmission gear, and

its axis is in line with the axis of the power or driving gear.-

At the forward and lower part of the carriage-supporting frame, we mount a hearing through which'the lower portion of the shaft 21 is mounted. An oil cup 82 may be provide'din a suitable osition. At the end of the shaft 21-is rigid y secured an operating arm 81 which engages the usual rods and leverswhich operate the forward wheels by connecting the said levers to the usual kingvbolts which are operatively connected to the wheels."

In assembling the steering gear, the upper cage or frame 15 first bolte to the front of the dash board and the upper end of the lowershaft 21' which passes therethrough is alined with the lower end of the upper shaft QO-abutting each other at 100 (Figs. 1 and 2,), the upper shaft having at its lower end suitably keyed thereto the gear 39 and the geared sector being suitably keyed to the u per end of the lower shaft 21. The lower diamond shaped frame which is mounted at 61 and 62 extending upwardly there-- first on the lower shaft is then bolted to the upper frame as above described by means of the bolts 50, the idler shaft 36 to which the. gears 37 and 38 are fixed, being so alined that each of its ends will be. inserted respectively in the-bearings 3'5 and 47, and the parts are then properly adjusted by means of the bolts 46, 63, 70 and 71. Inoperation by the turning of the steering handle in the usual we the upper shaft 21 will turn, causing t e gear 39 which is fixed thereto and which mesheswith. the gear 37 to turn the latter as the gear 37 is keyed to the idler shaft 36. This. movement will cause the shaft 36 to turn which causes the gear 38 which is also keyed thereto to turn; as the said gear 38 meshes with the teeth of the sector 60,:the latter is caused to turn, and the sector being keyed to the shaft 21 causes that shaft to turn thereby causing the lever 81 which is fixedly secured at its lower end to vibrate or rock to and fro, according to the direction in which the steering handle is turned; As the-lever is coiiperatively connected-to a series of rods and levers attached I to the king bolts which are coiiperativcly connected-to the front wheels in the usual way, the front wheels are turned in any direction desired in order, to steer the car,

an-dcause it to be guided in any desired di rection.

The supporting frames for the gearing are made of brass or bronze or of any suitable material. As Will be evident from the above description, our gearing is. very simple in construction, very easy to assemble, very true. in its operation and is easy of adefliciently engage themselves one with the other and efliciently provide against lost motion. As the operating surfaces of the gears are very limited, it is evident that the gears may be adjusted in position on their respective shafts so that the new portions of the gear wheels may be brought in juxta )osition to each other for furtheu use in case t e teeth as a result of-wear cause lost motion during the operation.

While we have shown certain features of our invention in the accompanying drawings, it isto be understood that said draw.

'justment in order to cause the gears to p frame, a lower shaft mounted in' thesecon'd frame, each of said shafts having a gear se cured thereto, an idler shaft mounted in saidframes, gears fixed to said idler shaft,.said

'fixed to said idler shaft, said gears'operatively engaging with the gears on the upper and lower shafts, a steering wheel secured to the upper shaft as and for the purpose described.

3. In a steering gear for automobiles, thecombination with the dash board, of a sup? port secured to the front side'thereof, a

frame carried by said support and arranged at an angle thereof, a shaft mounted on said frame and extending through .the' dash board, the said shaft being provided with an operating handle stone of its ends and a gear at the other end, a second shaft 'arranged in line with said first mentioned she and having a gear secured thereto at its upper end and an operating lever armsecured to its lower end, the lower and upper ends of each of the two shafts being held together in the said supportin frame, idler gears fixed to a common sha t mounted in J said supporting frame and arranged to entwo part cage or frame, asupport thereforarranged in an inclined position with refergage respectively with the gears mounted upon the steering shaft.

4. In a steering gear for automobiles, a

ence to said frame and whereby said frame may be secured to the dash board, means for removablysecuring the parts of ,the cage or frame together, a power or driving shaft mounted in the fixed part of said'cage or frame, a gear secured to said shaft, a driven shaft mounted in the other part of said cage or frame jin-. juxtapo sitidn to the driving shaft, a ge'arsecured to said driven shaft, .an idler. .shaft',: the, ends of which are supportednspectivelyin the parts of said cage or frame, and idler gears. secured to said idler shaft, the said idler gears engaging respectively With the gear '0 i the driving shaft and the gear of the driven shaft.

. 5. In'-a'--steering' ear for afitomobiles, a

frame, a plurality o shafts mounted in said frame, gears mounted-on each ofsaid shafts for operative engagement one with the otherymeans for drawing togetherthe separate portions of the frame'in which the parallel shafts are mounted to adjustengagementrof thegears;

'6. In steering gear for automobiles, a shaft, a gear keyed to said shaft, means for adjusting-the grip of said'gear upon said shaft, means consistin' '"of a collar engaging the shaft and gear or holding said gear from longitudinal movement on said'shaft.

. 7. Ina steering gear for automobiles, an

open frame having two oppositely disposed sides. each of which carries abearing, a second frame having-two oppositely disposed sides,each of which carries a bearing, means for drawing the sides" and bearings of a frame toward one another, means for securing said frames together, means for supporting one of said-frames from a part of the automobile, ashaft su (p bearings of one of sai frames, .a gear secured to said shaft, a second shaft su [port in one of the bearings of the othero saidframes, a 'ar secured to said second shaft, an idler s aft, the ends of which are supported one in each of the other of the bearmgs of'said frames and two gears secured to said idler shaft and with which thegears respectivel tioned shafts are in-o erativeengagement In witness whereo wehave hereunto set. our hands at the borough of Manhattan,

city and State of New York, this 12th day of December, 1914.

ARTHUR C. MASON.

, ALFRED T. STURT. In presence of i Fnno W. Hormnsnn,

" JOHN J. Raxaoax.

carried'by said two first men-' orted in one ofthe 

